Days and Nights... later.

Another one of those nice little perks of The New Job...

I just had a nice sit-down chat with Bernie Sahlins, in the lobby of our theater. I originally met Bernie a few years ago at Martin De Maat's memorial at Second City. I was working there as a host (this would've been late 2001, early 2002). I sat Bernie and his wife on the bench on the side, since all other seats were taken. I recognized him from the Second City coffee table book. After the memorial, folks had drinks and snacks and hung around, just visiting. I approached Bernie then and asked him what he was up to those days. I can't remember what his answer was. I think that he was doing something with UIC. But I DO remember that he asked me about myself and my thoughts about improv, etc. I was really impressed that he cared enough to make small talk with one of the bar-backs at the theater. That made my day.

When we just re-met at the theater, he said that he actually remembered me from that memorial. I didn't press him for details. I just complimented him on his memory. We talked about improv, my friend David Shepherd and Joyce Sloane. I mentioned that I'd just seen Joyce, the night before. (I see her a lot around the theater, actually. We're always friendly.) He asked if I'd seen the new mainstage review. I hadn't actually, but I plan to. And he asked what David was up to. I told him that he's always looking forward to the next project. He refuses to look backwards at all. (Despite my urgings that he do so.)

He told me two short stories about David and Del Close. He told me about the opening night for The Playwrights Theater Club (the pre-cursor to The Compass and Second City). Apparently there was lots to be done, people standing outside, waiting to get it, the lights weren't working and no one knew where one of the lead actors was, and Bernie was running around looking for David. He found him in the seating area, on the floor, cleaning a small carpet stain with an old toothbrush.

"That was David. All these things to be done, big picture stuff, and David is obsesses about this small spot that really, only he could see." and he chuckled about it. "Later, we just had one of the actors go out and give a short speech about the delay of opening and the actress showed up in time to go on. It all worked out in the end."

He also told me the story about how he agreed, at Del's wake, that Improv was an art "for today". And that Del laughed until he had a coughing fit, but that was because he, Bernie, was standing on Del's air tube. He also said, "the funniest thing at that wake was watching Bill Murray circle to avoid Harold Ramis, who was circling to avoid Bill Murray. They had just had some sort of falling out."

The things you learn, hanging around the old guys of improv.

Cheers,
Mr.B